Anyone have partner with Prostate cancer

boheminan My DH is 4 years down the line with his prostate cancer. He is fine (touch wood). He no longer has treatment, even the hormone injections are no longer necessary. He now has a yearly blood test now to check his PSA levels, so we keep everything crossed when he has this. He had absolutely no side effects from the radiotherapy. With regard to transport. Some areas of the country have schemes which will take cancer patients to and from hospital appointments, if they have no transport themselves. After my DH was treated, he began volunteering as a driver for one of these organisations. They make a small charge but not much. You may find out if there is anything in your area by searching on Google. Good luck.

I'm interested on what the impact of radiotherapy is. It looks like Partner will be facing radiotherapy/hormone treatment. As at the moment we have no transport, the idea of weeks of getting to and from the hospital is daunting, I hope friends will rally round.

Hubby starts radiotherapy at the end of July for 33 sessions. We have a 34 mile round trip so not too bad,. Parking though is not free, but greatly reduced to £1 a day, so again could be worse. Our hospital held a lecture recently given by the two radiologists concerned so as to give patients an understanding of what the treatment entails. It is a pilot scheme and very useful. Hopefully it will become the norm.

Update from me.

Hubby has been in a lot of pain again (he had issues with being in the unlucky very low percent who have spasm in the bowel and bladder whilst having radiotherapy . see previous post)

He has now developed Prostatitis poor devil. His PSA level has not risen so he accepts it was a necessary evil to go through. Obviously I hate to see him in so much pain though.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/prostatitis/

Boheminan, I have been where you are, and my heart goes out to you. My dear husband died in 2016 of PCa two years after being diagnosed with an advanced form, which had already spread to his bones.

This is probably not the best forum to get too tied up in the medical details and the awful emotional issues. Prostate Cancer UK has a website with lots of information, and a forum with different sections for diferent groups. Many of the forum members are wives and partners of men with PCa and I found a lot of support and comfort there.

I'm pleased this thread has been reinstated as I'm curious to know how the original contributors and their partners have fared over the last few months.

Harrigran it puts you (and indeed myself) in a hard place when we're sworn to secrecy not to tell people - even though in my case he's lost over 4 stone in weight and falls asleep at the drop of a pin, friends notice and I confess I have spilled the beans and told close friends - then feel as if I've betrayed him.

Sparklefizz I'm not a user of F/B but hope others reading these threads will take your wise advice and get to join a closed group.

boheminan and harrigran There is bound to be a closed Facebook support group you can join. I belong to two of these groups for different health problems and firstly I have learnt such a lot, (which my GP didn't know as my illness is rare), and secondly there has been loads of support which is extremely helpful because it comes from others in the same boat. Try the Facebook search box to find a group......

My best wishes to you and your partner at a very difficult time. It is hard not having anyone to talk to, I am more or less in the same position because DH refuses to tell family.

My newly found beloved partner/soulmate has been told he has advanced prostate cancer and I have noone I can talk to about this. I have so many questions, fears, feelings of inadequency and anger....

I read the above threads and wonder, four months on how others are faring?

It seems that a lot of men dont actually have a lot of symptoms, thats what was happening with my partner, and it was only when he was rushed into hospital with urine retention and infection that it all started with the tests etc,
Although he is annoyed now,that is GP said when he went about getting up several times in the night, "we will see how it goes" so that was 2 years ago too, but the hospital have been marvellous
I hope both your DH and BIL are doing ok
I wonder why some get Chemo, and others Radiotherapy?

valerie Thank you. Unfortunately BIL didn't go to the docs as his only symptom was getting up a lot in the night to go to the loo. He is type 2 diabetic and assumed it was due to this. It was only due to going for a diabetes check that the GP said I think we'll have a look at your prostate and the diagnosis was confirmed. They have put him straight on to chemo and hormone injections. They think he may have had the disease for some months. He feels OK at the moment and we are hoping for the best.

val While your partner might not want to talk to anyone it might help you. There’s also the prostate charity. Really they are very informative and reassuring, which would answer any question or concerns you have.

Thanks for the info silverlining i will dee about the macmillan nurses,he doesnt seem to want to know much,just to let them do what they have to
I will keep reading though

Oh ,no im so sorry, there seems to be a lot of it doesnt there? but probably because more men are getting tesd due to the publicity, which is a good thing,
Does you bil know how far its got yet? but probably just started being tested, hopefully caught early

My brother-in-law has now been diagnosed with this. So that's my DH and now BIL.

Repetition of ‘as far as I know’.

Can understand why you are so concerned Val. Sounds like you have all been through a lot.
The hormone tablets start to work fairly quickly and as far as I know they don’t cause any side effects at all other than ocassional hot flushes.
The rt comes after that and the injections are when rt finishes as far as I know.
I telephoned Macmillan and spoke to very helpful and patient nurses when both my daughter and husband were diagnosed with cancer last year. Its a free phone number. You might try it if you havnt already.

vintage my partner had the retention of urine, and was admitted to hospital as an emergency, then he got sepsis,that was the start of all this, they found a very enlarged prostate, then it was the tests etc that followed, on to where we are now, since last May/June
After the prostate shave he collapsed losing blood
After that the biopsies ,and still couldnt find out where the cancer was, until he had a perineum biopsy, anyway the hormone treatment has started,
How long did it take for the hormones to start working? i think the radiotherapy starts when thev tablets finish, not sure when the injections start yet

My husband has prostate cancer and is on hormone therapy and regular review. He has a large prostate anyway and on 2 occasions when he had a biopsy he went into retention of urine - very uncomfortable and dangerous. It's a rare side-effect of biopsies but can occur so be aware!

At Addenbrookes the parking is not free, but is at a considerably reduced rate for radiotherapy patients.
DH never had to have enemas at all during his radiotherapy, and he coped ok with the full bladder bit, he said many men couldn’t last if there was a delay, and had to ‘go’, but sadly that then meant they had to wait longer to refill the bladder. Hormone therapy caused DH some discomfort with night sweats etc, but obviously the hardest bit for him to cope with is the lack of testosterone, but he is still here, seemingly in full health so we are thankful.

silverlining good luck for your hubby, hope all goes well

Yes, listen on catch up Val, it was very informative and explained choices and treatments.
I think the free parking while having RT is across the country. Try not to worry.
We are just off for my dh 3 monthly check. Fingers crossed

Oh wish i had known that programme was o,i would have listened to it, will try to listen on catch up
Will also mention the free parking and the free rides, but maybe those are only to a local hospital, but will mention iy

I would imagine the free parking is across the board, and it is worth doing, when you're going day after day.
Ask at reception in the radiotherapy dept.

Yes I listened too, and put it on another post but listen on catchup ( or whatever it’s called).